Finding a Home Away from Home

American Express Global Business Travel provides urgent support for 60,000 travelers1 during Hurricane Sandy

Highlights

Finding Comfort

American Express Global Business Travel will provide urgent travel support when an unforeseen event arises, doing our best to find a home away from home for travelers, and helping to make travel arrangements to get them back to their real homes as quickly and safely as possible.

“Although losing my house was a very tough experience, I have never seen so much kindness from people and companies as I have in the last six days.”

- American Express Global Business TravelCustomer

Hurricane Sandy brought devastation to the U.S. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions in October 2012, disrupting the daily routines and plans of millions of people in the storm’s path. Many residents had to evacuate their homes, local airports cancelled thousands of flights and public transportation was shut down. Stranded residents and travelers scrambled to find safety at hotels away from the surging waters –but this unusually high demand meant hotel rooms were hard to come by. American Express Global Business Travel’s supplier relationships gave us access to inventory so that we could provide safe places for our customers to stay.

For example, when a traveler missed his connecting flight to Mumbai, India, the concierge at the Newark Liberty International Airport told him that there were absolutely no hotel rooms anywhere in the area. He called American Express Global Business Travel, and we found him not one but two hotel rooms nearby. Other travelers were shocked to hear that he had a choice of hotel rooms when they’d been told everything was completely booked. On his return flight to Mumbai, he sat next to a friend of the CEO of a New York City-based company who told him the CEO had lost power in his home and couldn’t find a hotel room – having American Express Global Business Travel on his side had made all the difference for our traveler.

Another customer lost his house during the storm – he couldn’t find a hotel room, and had to set up residence on someone’s couch. His company, an American Express Global Business Travel client, knew about the situation and called us for help, We found a hotel room for the customer and his son, giving them peace and comfort amidst the destruction . The customer was grateful to finally be able to prepare a hot meal for his son and provide a real bed for him to sleep in. “Although losing my house was a very tough experience,” he said, “I have never seen so much kindness from people and companies as I have in the last six days.”

During a crisis, people find comfort in knowing that they have a place to stay. That’s why companies choose American Express Global Business Travel as their trusted travel partner. They know that American Express Global Business Travel will provide urgent travel support when an unforeseen event arises, doing our best to find a home away from home for travelers, and helping to make travel arrangements to get them back to their real homes as quickly and safely as possible.

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American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) is a joint venture that is not wholly owned by American Express Company or any of its subsidiaries (American Express). “American Express Global Business Travel,” “American Express” and the American Express logo are trademarks of American Express and are used under limited license.